This site is a web media that delivers all kinds of trivia, from sightseeing and gourmet spots in the six Tohoku prefectures to local, customs, and history.
Shichinohe is the northernmost , and even today, horse ranches are scattered throughout the area.
Nowadays, thoroughbred racehorses are bred here, rather than military or farm horses, and this town is where the image of a horse-breeding area remains strongest
As a result of the Heisei Great Merger, the former Shichinohe Town, which is home to the ruins of Shichinohe Castle, and the former Tenmabayashi Village, which is home to Jomon ruins, merged to form the current Shichinohe Town, and the main town hall is located in Tenmabayashi Village
Shichinohe Towada on the Tohoku Shinkansen line is located exactly halfway between these two stations . In front of the station the Aeon Shichinohe Towada Ekimae store and a roadside station, so the area is always bustling with tourists and locals alike.
The Shichinohe clan has a long history and many genealogies
Nanbu Mitsuyuki (owned by Morioka City Central Community Center) Source: Wikipedia
The Shichinohe clan that governs it is said to have been founded by Tomokiyo, the fourth son of Nanbu Mitsuyuki, the founder of the Nanbu clan, but since then, lineages with different bloodlines have emerged over time
Shichinohe Castle Ruins (Kashiwaba Castle)
Shichino Castle Ruins
The castle ruins are located on a hill behind the Shichinohe Town Hall, and are now developed as Kashiwaba Park. In December 1941 (Showa 16), the area was designated a national historic site
There are two theories about the castle: one is that it was built by Nanbu Masanaga, a member of the Nejo Nanbu clan in Hachinohe Nanbu Masamitsu, who became head of the Nejo Nanbu clan from the Sannohe Nanbu clan.
The enshrined deity of Shichinohe Shinmei Shrine is Ohirumenomuchinomikoto, also known as Amaterasu Omikami
Within the large grounds Shichinohe Shinmei Shrine . There used to be an elementary school and a junior high school here as well, but they have now been relocated and the entire site is now a park.
The reconstructed East Gate
In 1873, the Honmaru castle gate was moved to Seiganji Temple in the town, but the east gate of Shichinohe Castle was rebuilt on the east side of the castle ruins, and its sturdy and imposing appearance speaks of its former grandeur
Shichinohe Castle Ruins <Information>
Facility name: Historic site Shichinohe Castle Ruins (Kashiwaba Castle Ruins)
Welcoming the Derby horses: Komatsu Hikari on the left and Hikaru Mage on the right
Located along National Route 4 near Shichinohe-Towada Station, the museum is home to life-size sculptures of Shichinohe-born thoroughbreds Komatsu Hikari " and " Hikaru Meijithe Takayama Uichi Memorial Museum , which houses a collection of works by artists from Shichinohe.
The local products shop sells the local specialty " Koma Manju " and the local sake "Komaizumi , " and recommended souvenirs include rare fermented and aged black garlic, smoked horse meat, and pickled yam.
At Restaurant Ema, you can enjoy local dishes unique to this place, such as horse meat ramen and Aomori shamrock oyakodon
The direct sales store, Shichisaikan, has a wide variety of fresh local vegetables on display, and the prices are low, so it's always crowded with local shoppers
In addition, the local JA's " Nanasaikan " offers a wide variety of fresh and delicious agricultural products from Shichinohe Town, as well as bento boxes and prepared foods, and is popular not only with local individual customers but also as a source of supplies for restaurants.
The rice used for the simple salted rice balls is Tsugaru Roman from Shichinohe, 100 yen each (as of June 25, 2024)
There is a soba run by the JA Women's Division attached to the facility, and the soba noodles and rice balls made with delicious local rice are popular.
A group of ranches that continues the tradition of producing "Shichinohetachi" fine horses
Horses and ponies grazing at Morita Ranch
County has been known as a breeding ground for fine horses since the Heian period , and even in modern times, Aomori Prefecture is said to have had over 200 ranches, making it one of the leading horse-producing areas in Japan, along with Hokkaido.
However, since the 1960s, the number of ranches has decreased, and now thoroughbreds are raised on around 30 ranches
Morita Ranch
The friendly ponies at Morita Farm
In the past, the ranch produced many excellent thoroughbreds, but with the decline of racehorse production in Aomori Prefecture, the number of horses produced at this ranch also decreased, and the last horse produced was in 2006, and the ranch is now open to the public as a tourist ranch
Magariya buildings where horses and people live together that remain in large numbers in the former Nanbu domain , and at this ranch they have been well preserved, with the eight Magariya buildings on the ranch being registered as tangible cultural properties of the country.
It is currently run by Kaneko Farm, which raises beef cattle. The curvy house can be used as a multipurpose space for dinner parties, and there is also a restaurant and gelato shop on the premises
Nanbu Curved House Training Stables (Stable No. 1)
Built in May 1912 (Meiji 45), the large thatched roof building exudes a sense of history
It is connected to Stable No. 2 via an aisle, and reminds us of the many horses that would have lived there in its heyday
This is the No. 2 stable, connected to the No. 1 stable on the left side
There is a fenced pasture between the parking lot and the stables where horses and ponies are kept loose, and you can take photos of the stables with the horses
Morita Farm No. 1 Stable ＜Information＞
Facility name: Former Morita Farm Stables No. 1 and No. 2
This lunch-only restaurant offers a wide variety of menu items, from reasonably priced dishes such as curry, hamburger steak, and pork belly steak to delicious lean Kuroge Wagyu sirloin steak and mellow-tasting aged beef steak
Homemade Gelato NAMIKI
Next to the restaurant is " Handmade Gelato NAMIKI ," where you can enjoy rich gelato in a variety of flavors made from freshly squeezed (pasteurized) milk from Jersey cows.
Jersey Milk: A simple yet rich milk flavor
Across from the two houses is a large meadow equipped with play equipment, where you can relax and enjoy lunch and gelato
Shichinohe Station and its remains Source: Aomori Tourism Information Site
the Nanbu Jukan Railway , which once connected Shichinohe and Noheji, remain . Although the line was sadly abolished in 2002, the parent company continued to operate under a different business model, and Shichinohe Station and its premises remain intact within Shichinohe Town.
A rail bus preserved in working order. Source: Aomori Tourism Information Site
Two rail buses and a diesel railcar (Kiha 104) that were in operation are preserved in working order, and you can take photos of them as well as tour the interior of the vehicles, making this a recommended visit for railway enthusiasts
Former Southern Trunk Railway <Information>
Facility name: Former Nanbu Jukan Railway Shichinohe Station Site
Shichinohe, which has long been famous as a horse breeding area, is located at the northern tip of Nukabe County, and beyond this is the Shimokita Peninsula
the place names ending in "to, which had previously been arranged in order toward the north , but is located in a southeasterly direction.
Kunohe is located further south of Hachinohe in Iwate Prefecture, which is also considered a mystery surrounding place names with the character "to" in them
Special feature on "place names with 'to' in them" from 1 to 9
I am a former Edo guy who loves Morioka, loves the six prefectures of Tohoku, and loves history, gourmet food, travel, sports, alcohol, and singing. We'll introduce you to some interesting, delicious, and good things about Tohoku!
![Hachinohe Catch](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAJYAAACWAQAAAAAUekxPAAAAAnRSTlMAAHaTzTgAAAAaSURBVEjH7cExAQAAAMKg9U9tDQ+gAACAdwMLuAABXZHjmQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg== ""Place names with doors" from 1 to 9 [Hachinohe and Kunohe edition] Mystery with different patterns only for the eight and nine positions")
![Hachinohe Catch](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/8737ae4878723e4fc7d713b6aed41d96-150x150.jpg.webp ""Place names with doors" from 1 to 9 [Hachinohe and Kunohe edition] Mystery with different patterns only for the eight and nine positions")
![Yonohe Catch](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/b5ef6cf53fbfad9ad5956ac294a72ed4-150x150.jpg.webp ""Place names with 'to' in them" from 1 to 9 [Yonohe Edition] Where was the legendary Yonohe? Explore the mysterious Yonohe!")
![IMG_5569](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_5569-150x150.jpg.webp ""Place names with doors" from 1 to 9 [Ichinohe and 2 nohe] The origin of the Ichinohe was a town of Jomon ruins, and why is there a Kunohe Castle ruins in Ninohe?")
![One household 1](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/a841edb6bdd60850a2a56c658aa26a40-150x150.jpg.webp "What is the mystery of the "place names that take place from the door" from Ichinohe to Kunohe? Explore the origins of place names in the numbers scattered throughout the former southern territory!")
![Gonohe Catch](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/4b7be42f1b789d8475c0e7b0b5c9ab58-150x150.jpg.webp ""Place names with doors" from 1 to 9 [Five and Six Doors Edition] Two simple yet delicious doors")
![Sannohe Catch](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/68def385b00c53bbd560d023270a45ba-150x150.jpg.webp ""Place names with doors" from 1 to 9 [Sannohe] Sannohe, the birthplace of the Nanbu clan, is associated with famous places, historical sites and cat towns")
